[Vision2020] 1, 704 signatures gathered against shipments on Highway 12

[nickgier at roadrunner.com]

PRESS RELEASE

July 13, 2010

Lewiston, Idaho

Opponents of the transporting of massively oversized, road-obstructing industrial equipment on U.S.Highway 12 presented a citizens' "Petition to Deny Permits" to the Idaho Transportation Department today and mailed a copy including all signatures to Gov. C.L."Butch" Otter. The petition, delivered to ITD offices in Lewiston, bore the signatures of 1704 individuals.

Crafted and circulated by an informal network of north central Idahoans, the petition states, "These transports would degrade the intrinsic qualities of the Northwest Passage Scenic Byway and All-American Road; impede the travel of locals and visitors for pleasure, recreation, business, and emergencies; potentially damage the road and bridges and accrue costs to American taxpayers; pose a serious threat to a world-class fishery and wildlife corridor; and severely impact the single growing industry of the U.S.12 corridor: travel/tourism."

The petition was inspired by growing evidence that initial transports of such massive equipment for which travel plans have been submitted by Conoco Phillips and Imperial Oil/Exxon Mobil Canada will lead to the conversion of the Northwest Passage Scenic Byway and All-American Road into a mega-load industrial truck route, also referred to as a "high-wide corridor." 

As citizens have learned more about the nature of the transports and the risks they pose to north central Idaho residents, businesses, communities and visitors, the intensity of concern has grown. Simultaneously, a sense of betrayal has arisen as citizens have realized plans for these transports have been underway for at least 2 years without broad public notice or solicitation of public comment. Instead, as ITD found itself inundated with uninvited citizen comments, ITD set a deadline date to stop comments. A sense of betrayal has also arisen around the failure of the Clearwater National Forest Wild and Scenic Rivers administrator, District Ranger, and Forest Supervisor to protect the Wild and Scenic River corridor and, further, around what appears to be their blatant disregard for the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. Additionally, citizens note that ITD has not sufficiently engaged the Idaho Department of Fish and Game with regards to corridor wildlife and fisheries nor local emergency response personnel with regards to emergency vehicle and personal vehicle emergencies. Nor does it appear that ITD has engaged the Idaho State Historical Society, State Historical Preservation Officer and Nez Perce Tribal Historical Preservation Officer with regards to the effects of ground vibrations caused by massive loads that may damage historical structures sitting within 50 feet of the highway, such as First Presbyterian Church and the McBeth House in East Kamiah and the Nez Perce National Historic Park site The Ant and The Yellowjacket near Spalding.

The Petition to Deny Permits for Transport of Massively Oversized Equipment on U.S.Highway 12 was submitted as comment, to be treated equally with the hundreds of public comments ITD has been receiving. Petitioners, in effect, demand that ITD and the Governor of Idaho heed the voice of taxpayers above all other interested party's voices in the decision regarding approval of any and all mega-load permits for travel on Highway 12.

Contacts:

Linwood Laughy & Borg Hendrickson

lin at wildblue.net

chicory at wildblue.net

P.O. Box 447, Kooskia ID 83539

208-926-7875